Modified 2D stylus profilometry and its application to frictional analysesin sheet metal forming operations

Frictional conditions at contact interfaces can have a large influence on t he success of some sheet metal forming operations. Topographic surface char acterisation is a useful tool for obtaining data necessary for some tribolo gical analyses, and it is proposed that a standard two-dimensional (2D) pro filometer can be modified to provide inexpensive three-dimensional (3D) dat a without any significant loss of performance. A scanning white light inter ferometer is used to verify this hypothesis, and the results show that whil e the new profilometry technique is less accurate at low contact areas, it is sufficiently accurate for some purposes. Surface maps are created and th e results used to calculate the real contact areas, bearing area curves and hydrodynamic Lift pressures for a drawing-quality steel. (C) 2000 Publishe d by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.